Brewster's Millions eBook

of the cruise, and he was helplessly drifting in mid-ocean.
Even if the necessary repairs could be made promptly,
it would take the “Flitter” fourteen days
to sail from the Canaries to New York. Figure
as hard as he could he saw no way out of the unfortunate
situation. Two days more elapsed and still no
sign of a breeze. He made sure that September
23d would find him still drifting and still in possession
of one hundred thousand superfluous dollars.

At the end of ten days the yacht had progressed but
two hundred miles and Monty was beginning to plan
the rest of his existence on a capital of $100,000.
He had given up all hope of the Sedgwick legacy and
was trying to be resigned to his fate, when a tramp
steamer was suddenly sighted. Brewster ordered
the man on watch to fly a flag of distress. Then
he reported to the captain and told what he had done.
With a bound the captain rushed on deck and tore the
flag from the sailor’s hand.

“That was my order,” said Monty, nettled
at the captain’s manner.

“You want them to get a line on us and claim
salvage, do you?”

“What do you mean?”

“If they get a line on us in response to that
flag they will claim the entire value of the ship
as salvage. You want to spend another $200,000
on this boat?”

Communication was slow, but after an apparently endless
amount of signaling, the captain finally announced
that the freight steamer was bound for Southampton
and would tow the “Flitter” to that point
for a price.

“Back to Southampton!” groaned Monty.
“That means months before we get back to New
York.”

“He says he can get us to Southampton in ten
days,” interrupted the captain.

“I can do it, I can do it,” he cried,
to the consternation of his guests, who wondered if
his mind were affected. “If he’ll
land us in Southampton by the 27th, I’ll pay
him up to one hundred thousand dollars.”

CHAPTER XXIX

THE PRODIGAL’S RETURN

After what seemed an age to Monty, the “Flitter,”
in tow of the freighter “Glencoe,” arrived
at Southampton. The captain of the freight boat
was a thrifty Scotchman whose ship was traveling with
a light cargo, and he was not, therefore, averse to
taking on a tow. But the thought of salvage had
caused him to ask a high price for the service and
Monty, after a futile attempt at bargaining, had agreed.
The price was fifty thousand dollars, and the young
man believed more than ever that everything was ruled
by a wise Providence, which had not deserted him.
His guests were heartsick when they heard the figure,
but were as happy as Monty at the prospect of reaching
land again.

The “Glencoe” made several stops before
Southampton was finally reached on the 28th of August,
but when the English coast was sighted every one was
too eager to go ashore to begrudge the extra day.
Dan DeMille asked the entire party to become his guests
for a week’s shooting trip in Scotland, but
Monty vetoed the plan in the most decided manner.